He continued in the same menacing tone, “However, I swear, Mo Yuan. I’ll do everything within my power to stop you from making your move on her. I’m warning and advising you not to cross the line. Don’t push me!”

“Push you? Did my short visit to Qingqiu threaten you that much, Ye Hua? Is it a crime to send wine to my Shì Qī? I broke our promise never to see her again but I had a purpose and reason.” Mo Yuan explained.

Deliberately, Mo Yuan then stepped back to create more distance from Ye Hua staring off vacantly into the distance. He continued in a nostalgic whisper. He smiled but it was entirely sad, discouraged. It was more than apparent that it was difficult for him to speak the words.

“Indeed, I did visit Qingqiu. For a remarkably personal, necessary and required reason. It was for my closure and finish. I’ve decided that my love affair with Shì Qī needs to come to an end for good.”

Mo Yuan simply stated and added, “Ye Hua, I’m done being your love rival. Bai Qian is all yours. I’ll have to be satisfied with just being your older brother, A-Li’s uncle and the Master of Kunlun Mountain.”

Ye Hua’s full brows knitted and his forehead creased before his face went blank from confusion. Evidently he’d misheard his brother. Repeatedly he blinked in silence trying to understand, and make sense of Mo Yuan’s sudden and wholly unforeseen declaration.

Entirely dumbfounded by the highly unusual circumstances, Ye Hua’s words flew out of his mouth in utter disbelief, “Why?! I know you still love Qian Qian! So why would you say this to me? Mo Yuan, why would you yield when you have a much better chance than me, of gaining her back with the help of your powerful friends?!”

Profoundly Mo Yuan sighed and took a couple of deep breaths before he spoke to his younger twin, “Ye Hua, I had the indescribable delight and absolute pleasure of my Shì Qī’s company for 20,000 years. She and I forged a bond that forever changed me and I’ll always have that.”

“I’ve also relished in the heavenly ecstasy of indulging in bodily pleasure with her, almost nightly for 200 years after my return.” Mo Yuan stated in a soft tone of voice.

Mo Yuan then spoke gentle, sentimental words that he’d never said before to Ye Hua, “You loved her, experienced happiness for only a few, short, bittersweet years before you lost her and had to wait for another 300 years. Then you found her again but Bai Qian was not herself. I have a sense of how much you suffered because that was a difficult time for me also.”

“In retrospect, I’m not proud of my selfish behavior but my love for her made me blind, irrational and I couldn’t see anything else. I couldn’t and didn’t notice or recognized yours or A-Li’s pain.” Mo Yuan murmured as he lowered his gaze.

The warm sensation of his brother’s hand was something new, when he patted Ye Hua’s slumped shoulders and continued in a melancholy tone of voice, “I watched her almost die once. That was traumatic enough that I still sit up at night from a deep sleep covered in sweat and my heart pounds, races painfully.”

Mo Yuan resumed, “So, I can’t even begin to fathom or imagine your pain. I’m not saying this to blame you, but you had to take her eyes and were forced to hurt her even though it was to save her. Ye Hua, you carry the heavy weight of immense guilt that I don’t.”

“You had to watch her die not once but twice in the most ghastly manner. You were robbed, cheated of your unborn child’s birth and alone raise her son, A-Li. That mouthy rascal takes after her more and more with every passing day. Meaning, every single time you look at your son, you see and longed for Bai Qian and there isn’t a greater self-punishment, or self-penance than that in the world.”

Mo Yuan stated and added, “Ye Hua, you’ve suffered enough and it’s time for you to experience some joy in your life.”

His dark, thoughtful, expressive eyes exuded warmth as Mo Yuan lightly cleared his throat and continued in a murmur, “I think it’s time for you to try again with her and this time, I do believe you’ll both be happy together. Your tragic and painful separation has been long enough.”

“She’s bloomed. Bai Qian’s ready to be loved and you’re dying to love her. The sad past is unimportant and gone. Let go of your guilt and love her as you’ve always desired. There isn’t anything or anyone to hold you back or get in your way anymore.” Mo Yuan ended his sage advice with a look of serenity.

The emotional moment was too unexpected, sudden, out of the blue and Ye Hua couldn’t stop himself from weeping. Tears freely ran down his face as he uttered grievously between silent sobs.

Full of lament, Ye Hua cried, “Mo Yuan, I can’t because I’m afraid. Every time I become entangled with a part of her life, Qian Qian ends up severely hurt or dies. I’m a disastrous curse and burden for her life like a terrible jinx.”

“I can’t allow her to suffer again because my heart can’t endure it. I refuse to become the creator of any new pain in her now carefree life. Let Qian Qian live peacefully and quietly as she has for the last 40,000 years.” Ye Hua squatted and just sobbed with his head in his shaking hands.

Mo Yuan saw his broken brother and asked gently, “Do you remember when we saved Bai Qian’s life and your child, we encased in a golden lotus?”

“At the time, it was an act of pure desperation because we had nothing else to lose. We thought, hoped and prayed since it worked for you perhaps it could be successful for your unborn baby. We both used half of our life force, cultivation to produce another golden lotus to protect the fetus.” Mo Yuan reminisced what they’d done together as an attempt to save Ye Hua’s unborn child.

The pain of losing his baby was still too fresh for him to recollect even though it had been 40,000 years, and Ye Hua wept regretfully. The sound of his sorrowful crying came from deep in his heart, and Mo Yuan barely held back his tears of sympathy.

He attempted to give Ye Hua inner strength when he challenged, “Where did all that fire and enthusiasm go? You promised Chang would be born to Bai Qian one day, and vowed that nobody or nothing would get in your way. Should I take back my words and steal her from you again?”

Ye Hua wiped his tears and softly replied somewhat arrogantly, “You didn’t steal her from me! I took her from you! Who do you think won last time? It was me.”

Suddenly he stood charged, full of pride. Ye Hua brushed off his clothes and he returned with absolute confidence, “Chang will be born to Qian Qian one day! I swear on my name and honor!”

“Remember what you just swore to me and make sure your child is born to Bai Qian. I’m keeping my eyes on you! However, Ye Hua, I think that day has come sooner than we anticipated.” Mo Yuan spoke in a manner full of sentiment and moved aside to reveal Ye Hua’s golden lotus, but the flower wasn’t gold anymore but now bright crimson.

Excitedly Ye Hua leaped up to the edge of the pond and demanded in a state of frenzy, “When did this happen?! Why do you think this occurred?!”

“This morning while in seclusion, I sensed a sudden, massive shift rise in divine energy coming from the pond and found Chang like this. The protective casing was gold even as of yesterday. Otherwise, my disciples who are assigned to care for the lotus would have called me so it happened overnight.”

Ye Hua’s bewilderment intensified when Mo Yuan added, “It’s time to make Bai Qian fall in love with you again and this time make sure it last! I’m only giving you one rare chance before I take over and step back in again as your love rival.”

Mo Yuan closed in curiously to now crimson lotus and explained, “That’s the actual reason why I went to Qingqiu. To say goodbye to my love since it appears fate desires, and perhaps needs you and Bai Qian back together.”

His facial expression was most gentle when Mo Yuan corrected, “Or maybe your child wants and needs the two of you back together. I think the sudden change is a divine sign that he, or she is ready to be born to and should be closer to Bai Qian. Charm, woo, court her again and take your child to Qingqiu’s lotus pond.”

Ye Hua placed both hands behind his head. Apprehensively he spun around once where he stood and exclaimed perplexed, “Where do I begin? How do I start over with Qian Qian! What if she doesn’t fall for me again? I mean it’s possible. Then how am I suppose to transfer, and relocate Chang to the lotus pond in Qingqiu without appearing dubious or suspicious?”

“I’ll give you one hint. A wink. Did you know Bai Qian has an infinite weakness for a wink from a handsome man and good wine? I tried it again today and it still worked after all these years. I winked. It got her attention and stopped her instantly for a couple of seconds. She might not remember the past but she is still the same woman.”

Mo Yuan teased and added, “Ye Hua, if you don’t feel confident or convinced in your skills in courting and seducing Bai Qian, then I could always lure her to and for you. Although, I can’t guarantee that I’ll give her back to you after I successfully attracted her.”

In an instant, Ye Hua’s eyes flew open and he yelled possessively, “Mo Yuan, you winked at my Qian Qian?! Stay away from her and don’t EVER wink at her again! I know some of her vulnerabilities and inclinations also!”

Suddenly without a hint of his intention, Mo Yuan slapped the backside of Ye Hua’s head hard and corrected in his stern Shifu tone, “Brother, not Mo Yuan! Seriously, considering everything that I’ve done for you, calling me by my name is a bit inappropriate! I’m much older than you so it’s ‘brother’ from now on.”

“Also, Ye Hua, have you ever considered calling me brother would keep me away from Bai Qian out of sibling guilt? You should have done that from the start instead of calling me by my name.” Mo Yuan teased but without expression.

Ye Hua’s dark eyes were huge because never had he been struck by anyone in his entire life, “You were secretly engaged to my Qian Qian behind my back! Mo Yu… I mean, brother. How could I be polite and courteous to a homewrecker! But since you’ve said that you’re no longer going to chase my wife, I’ll call you brother going forward.”

His soft voice lacked real conviction and Ye Hua exhaled sharply in frustration before confessing, “Qian Qian already told A-Li I was too young for her and she doesn’t have any desire to marry.”

“Oh, what the hell! I’m up for the challenge and confident that I’ll figure something…out!”

Ye Hua tried to encourage himself. His full brows drew together and his eyes shifted nervously when he declared, “She fell in love with me twice so how difficult could it be a third time? What’s that old saying again? Third time’s the charm?”

The moment between them was playful and Mo Yuan was humored watching his doubtfilled, worried twin but then abruptly said most serious, “Ye Hua, kill SuJin today. Let the past and everything come to an end. It’s time for some peace in your life.”

The nervous youthful apprehension vanished off his face, and one of grave concern took its place when Ye Hua stated, “Brother, I have tried to kill her every night for the past 20,000 years and left her for dead. But every night someone unknown has been sneaking in to revive, and brings her back to life after I’ve gone!”

Ye Hua continued to state his problem in a whisper, “I’ve tried many times to trap and seize the responsible individual without success, so that can only mean one thing. That whoever it is, their magic is immensely powerful and oddly the only magical energy I recognize is mine. Do you think it could be Xuan Nu or someone working with her?”

His older twin’s keen gaze narrowed with anxiety as Mo Yuan asked perplexed, “How could anyone else get to her? That lock is flawless and tight. Purposely I designed with specific magic so only you can open and lock the doors.”

“Exactly! Who is healing SuJin every time and why? Now I can’t kill her until I discover the responsible party and their motivation for keeping her alive.” Ye Hua replied in a tone filled with worry and total trepidation.

The corners of Mo Yuan’s eyes crinkled when he squinted ever so slightly and advised, “I’ll look into SuJin’s situation. You have other things to worry about.”

Mo Yuan’s tone suddenly sounded hesitant and reluctant even begrudgingly resentful when he said, “Your priority. Your first important task is… I can’t believe this is coming out of my mouth.”

Then his words flew out of his mouth in a rush as if saying them faster made it less painful when Mo Yuan said, “But seducing Bai Qian is the only thing that should be on your mind. I HATED saying that.”

To the ground, Mo Yuan defeatedly dropped his shaking head in utter disbelief, due to the unbelievable words that just came from his lips.

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Disclaimer

This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms (三生三世, 十里桃花) which is trademarked by Tang Qi. The characters were created and are owned by Tang Qi, and I do not claim any ownership over them or the world of Three Lives Three Worlds, Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms.

The stories I tell here are of my own invention, and it is not purported to be a part of Tang Qi’s story canon. These stories are for entertainment only and are not part of the official story line. I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story. I am grateful to Tang Qi for her wonderful book, as otherwise my stories would not exist.